Jarrah, karri and marri trees are logged from old growth forests and used for commercial purposes. Some of the wood is used for building purposes, and this is known as "structural timber". Much of it is taken to the Wesfarmers-Bunnings Diamond Mill near Manjimup and made into woodchips, which are exported to Japan and made into paper products.

A small proportion is used to make high quality furniture and fine woodcraft, which is called "value-added" timber. The rest ends up as firewood, sawdust and "waste".

These figures show that our old growth forests are being clearfelled to produce mainly woodchips and other low grade products such as roofing timbers and jarrah charcoal logs. There is very little value adding in the native forest logging industry.

"The Myth of Value-Adding"- RTF file

Jobs and the native forest logging industry

There will be a native forest logging industry in WA for the foreseeable future. However it will be based on regrowth forest, combined with plantation resources. Employment in the native forest logging industry has been steadily declining, from around 4,500 people in 1970 to 2000 workers in 1997. This is less than 3% of all the jobs in the South West. (Sources: ABS, 1997 and Hansard 1998) The woodchip plant at Diamond Mill employs only 50 people but consumes half the native forest logs removed each year.

BLUEGUM PLANTATION

	"Employment and the Forests"- RTF file
	"The role of woodchipping in forest destruction in WA"- RTF file
	"Timber industry facts, directions and opportunities"- RTF file

According to economist Judy Clark, the plantation industry employs 1520 people and based on existing plantations which are becoming old enough to use, the number of jobs has the potential to double over the next five years. (Clark, Australia's Plantations - industry, employment, environment, 1995.)

The tourism industry currently provides 10,000 jobs in the South West, and nature-based tourism is the fastest growing part of the industry (30% every year), so protecting the remaining old growth forests is seen as vital for "resource security" for the tourism industry. (South West Tourism Association, 1998; WA Tourism Commission, 1998)